1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a system for transmitting information utilizing Internet technology, and more particular to technology to make information input operations easy at the transmitting side.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in the field of clinical trials, paper is used for transmission of test data. An investigational site (a hospital) enters the test data in an exclusive entry sheet (a case report form). Then, the entry sheet is sent to a test data administrator by facsimile or mail.
With the Internet becoming increasingly widespread, exploitation of the Internet has been considered in such information transmission. For example, a Web page (information input page) for information input is displayed on terminals of the investigational site instead of conventional entry sheets. Input items are arranged on the information input page. Information is input in each input item by utilizing a keyboard. Compared with the use of a facsimile or mail, information is collected easily.
However, when the Internet is utilized, information must be input on the information input page using the keyboard. This is a troublesome task compared with entry operations into the conventional sheet.
In order to make the entry operation easier, it has been considered to provide multiple choices on the information input page. A user may perform the operation to choose from the multiple choices. However, even if the multiple choice method is used, the operation is still troublesome compared with the use of the entry sheet. Also, when there are a large number of choices, the input operation becomes troublesome.
For example, in the above stated clinical trial, there are many input items of the entry sheet to be filled in. Also, many kinds of information can be input into one item regarding names of pharmaceutical drugs or symptoms. Thus, if the entry sheet is replaced by a Web page, the entry operation of the Web page becomes very troublesome.
As stated above, the operation of inputting information to the Internet is troublesome compared with entry into the entry sheet. Assuming that the input task is performed in the same sense as entry into the entry sheet and if the entry task can be performed more easily than the entry into the entry sheet, the manual operation would be considered much simpler.
Here, the clinical trial is mainly taken as an example in order to explain the background of the invention, but the same can be said for the transmission of other information.